Circuit-controlling device.



W. P. SENG. CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE,

APPUCATIDN FILED MAY 21. 19i2.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

W. P. SENG. I CIRCUIT CONTROLLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MA'IZI. 1912.

1,134,355. Pa ented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Wnnnnmn .P. Suns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful 1m provement in Circuit-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to cirsuit-controlling devices adapted for usein connection with motor-vehicles, and useful to control the electric circuits of electric horns, bells, or the like.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a device of the character indicated in which the circuit-controlling means is so disposed with relation to the steering wheel of the vehicle as to enable the operator to sound the signal or horn without the necessity of removing his hands from the steering-wheel, and without the necessity of removing his feet from the brake and clutch pedals of the machine.

'The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the acompanying drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan view of the steering-wheel of an automobile equipped with my improved oircuit controlling device; Fig. 2, a plan view of the annular contact-member employed, and its supporting spider; Fig. 3, a broken elevational view of the steering-wheel and shaft equipped with the improved device, the view being partly in section and illustrating also the electric horn and its circuit. the latter being shown diagrammatically; Fig. 4, a broken sectional view of a steering-wheel equipped with the device in modified form; Fig. 5, a broken sectional. view showing another modification, the view-being taken as indicated atline 5 of Fig. 6; Fig. 6, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7, a-broken sectional view showing a modification of the steering-wheel shaft.

Referring to the preferred construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, A represents the steering-wheel of an automobile mounted on a shaft A; B. an electric horn equipped with a vibrator B and C, an electric circuit includinga battery C In practice, the horn B is suitably mounted on any desired portion of the machine. On gasolene machines. the horn is commonly mounted under the engine hood in the vicinity of the lower end of the steeringshaft. For convenience a diagrammatic Specification of Letters Patent.

the ring 4 will in illustration is given Fig. 3L One ,con-

.ductor 1 or the circuit C is grounded, that Patented Apr. 6, 19:15. Application filed May 21, 1912. Serial No. 698,823.

is, connected with a metal portion-of the frame of the machine, so that the shaft A forms a portion of the circuit. Upon the shaft is insulatingly mounted a collar 2, which carries resilient arms 3, upon which is mounted an annular contact-member 4. The other conductor 5 of the circuit C is connected to the collar 2. The annular contact-member4 is disposed beneath the metallic arms 6 of the steerin :Wheel, and in close relation thereto;' an said annular member is or" somewhat smaller diameter than thesteering-wheel, so that when it is a desired, the operator may, without releasing his hold on the steering-wheel, employ his fingers to press the member 4r'upward y into contact with a. rib, or ribs, of the steeringwheel, thereby closing the circuit C.

The collar 2 may consist of a two-part clamping-ring, as shownzin Fig. 2. The clamping-ring is insulated by the bushing 7, which is of insulating material. clamping-ring, together with the spring arms 3, afiords a spider which supports the ring n Thering 4 may comprise a rod bent into annular form and having its'ends joined together byfa union 8. The ring 4 lies in a plane parallel with the plane of the wheel A and immediately beneath the plane of the metal arms 6 of said wheel. The annular space9between the ring 4 and the rim 10 of the wheel is preferably of such width that manipulation of the steering-wheel, but the space 9 is nevertheless small enough to enable the operator to readily extend his fin gers beneath the steering-wheel to press the member 4: upwardly to close the circuit. The conductor 5 extends downwardly along the shaft A, is suitably insulated, and may, if desired, be ineased in a flexible metal armor. It is to be understood that the con- .ductor 1 is shown connected with the shaft A merely for convenience of illustration.

in the modification shown in Fig. 4, A represents a portion of a steering-wheel, and

4., represents in section an annularcontactcontact-member 4.

member similar to the In this modification, the annular-contactme mber 4,, is supported by extensible spring arms 3,, which are carried by the rim of the wheel A,. Any suitable number of extensible arms 3.. are employed. Each arm 3,.

Said.

n'owiseinterfere with the comprises an outer member 11 whose outer extremity is secured to the rim of the Wheel A and whose inner end isteles'copically received iu a hollow or tubular member 12, which is secured to the annular member 4i... In this case, the conductor 5., of the electric circuit is connected with the member 4 and the circuit is completed in the manner heretofore 'described.

In the modificationshown in Figs. 5 and 6, 6, represents an arm of e steeringewheel; and 4. represents an annular contact-memher similar to the oontact-memher 4. Here the annular contactmember e, is supported r the annular member mell y held depressed,

resentsesteering-Wheel shaft which is encircled by a fixed tube or sleeve 16. In an automobile having such a fixed sleeve inciosf ing the steeringheel shaft, the collar 2 would be secured upon the upper end of the fixed tube. In such case, the steering-wheel Wouldlturn with relation. to the annular contact memher'et, b'ut'this would innowise in-.

terferewith the operation of the device. In

the construction shown in Figs. 1 andl3, the

collar '2, being fixed to the steering-Wheel shaft, whichturns,

c and new automobiles.

Tour-e by Letters Patent, is: slot H, through which each arm of the steering" on said collar.

no relative rotation he eces e tween the steering-wheel contact-member occurs.

from the foregoing description, it is evident that my device possesses many adventages can be manufactured at a modernize cost, and can readily be applied to both old The detailed descrip tion has been given for oleurness elf/under; standing; hence no undue limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should -he' censt'rued as broadly as s permissible in V A, wgof the prior art. What Pregard esnew, and desire to se- 1. The combinationwith a steering-Wheel and its shaft, ofan electric circuit ccmprising a 'collerencircling the steering Wheel shaft and thereon, arms supported by said collar, end an annular contact-member supported by said arms and disposed close to the steering Wheel. a 2. The combination with e and its shaft,

steeringheel of an insulatinglymounted collar encircling said shaft, resilient carried by said collar, and an annular con tact-meinber carried by said arms and dis posed close to the steeringqvheel.

3. In means of the character set forth adapted. to be mounted on the steerint shei t of an automobile, the combination 0 e col-- lar means for insuletingly mounting the same on said steering-shaft, and a carried annular contest enieinher Y mounted WENDELIN P. SEEK}. i In the presence, of-

vOrrmn (,3. Answers,

lie-man B. dilnefeeehn;

and the annular springinsuleting'ly. inomited 

